Every cell is capable of producing a vast number of regulatory molecules (hormones). The classical endocrine glands and their hormone products are specialized to serve regulation on the overall organism level, but can in many instances be used in other ways or only on the tissue level. The rate of production of a given hormone is most commonly regulated by a homeostatic control system, generally by negative feedback. Homeostatic regulation of hormones depends, apart from production, on the metabolism and excretion of hormones. Hormone secretion can be stimulated and inhibited by: Other hormones (stimulating or releasing-hormones), Plasma concentrations of ions or nutrients, as well as binding proteins, Neurons and mental activity.
Peptide hormones are a class of peptides that are secreted into the blood stream and have endocrine functions in living animals. Peptide hormone precursors (pre-prohormones) are processed in several stages, typically in the endoplasmic reticulum, including removal of the N-terminal signal sequence and sometimes glycosylation, resulting in prohormones.
These prohormones often contain superfluous amino acid residues that were needed to direct folding of the hormone molecule into its active configuration but have no function once the hormone folds. Specific endopeptidases in the cell cleave the prohormone just before it is released into the blood stream, generating the mature hormone form of the molecule. Mature peptide hormones then diffuse through the blood to all of the cells of the body, where they interact with specific receptors on the surface of their target cells.
Peptide hormones are key players in most of the major life threatening diseases like Diabetes, Obesity, Cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
There remains a need for hormonal imbalance specific markers. There remains a need for reagents and kits which can be used to detect the presence of hormonal imbalance markers in samples from patients. There remains a need for reagents and kits which can be used to detect the future propensity of developing hormonal imbalance in samples from patients. There remains a need for methods of screening and diagnosing individuals who have hormonal imbalance and methods of monitoring response to treatment, disease progression and disease recurrence in patients diagnosed with hormonal imbalance.
There remains a need for reagents, kits and methods for determining the type of hormonal imbalance that an individual has. There remains a need for compositions which can specifically target hormonal imbalance related cells. There remains a need for improved methods of treating individuals who are suspected of suffering from hormonal imbalance.